Mirror, Who's the Loneliest of All?

Brunch with JNPR

Weiss holds the wound closed with both hands. You're going to be okay, Ruby, she tries to say, but all that comes out is pained squeaking in between her sobs. Ruby doesn't respond. She's lost too much blood already. Her eyes are glazed over and her breathing ragged. Weiss squeezes tighter and lays her head down on Ruby's chest. This is all my fault, she thinks. This wouldn't have happened if I had been watching where I was going.

A shriek rips through the air above them, and Weiss looks to the sky in horror as a Nevermore descends on them. Weiss spots a signature black bow matted in blood hanging from its beak.

Weiss screams in unison with the bird as it swipes it wing at them.

---

"AHHH!" Weiss sits up in bed in a cold sweat. Light filters through the curtains of her shared dorm room. Zwei is the only one in the room, peacefully snoozing in the corner. She painfully unclenches her fists to reveal four half-moon cuts on each palm from her nails. Wow, she thinks, I must have been more upset at Ruby for stealing one of my cookies than I thought. She chuckles and gets out of bed. It was just a dream, anyways. Just a way for her brain to relieve built up feelings.

She looks at the clock on the wall. 11:43 pm. Why on Remnant did they let me sleep so long?! She crosses to her dresser and begins getting ready for the day. While hooking Myrtenaster to her side, she spots a note on the desk. She picks it up and scans over it.

Weiss, it reads, We went out for brunch with JNPR; we would've woken you, but no one was ready to face your yelling so early. Sorry, Ruby.

They left her to go eat brunch? Oh those insufferable twits! She couldn't believe that they would think she wanted sleep more than food! Oh, she would have a word with them when they got back.

She sits in the swivel chair that Ruby had just had to have and sighs. They always did this. They always went out to have fun without her. They were worried that she would yell at them if they interrupted whatever it was she was doing to keep out of boredom. She guessed that's why she had the Dream. Every once in a while she would have this dream. It was always pretty much the same. The four of them would be fighting Grimm, Ruby would get hurt, Blake's bow would be in the Nevermore's beak, and it would kill her and Ruby.

She shivers. Why did they seem so real? She knew they weren't, but they were always so vivid. And didn't people usually forget their dreams when they woke up? A tear rolls down her cheek and she reflexively brushes it away. It must be because they left her to go have food.

She looks over at the vanity mirror. Mirror, mirror, who's the loneliest of all?